I watched all previous Whedon on DVD and got to get the whole character story arc in big gluttonous Whedonfests. The devices of his plots are sometimes really wooden–they are just an excuse for his strengths: character arc and relationship. So its hard to tell

But Dushku and Whedon say they’ve got a 5 season plan and I believe them–though I do wish they’d begin to make Echo’s slow-growing self awareness a little bit less slow-growingish and a lot more breaking out-ish. Or at least flash back to the character’s pre-Dollhouse days. (They did that a little bit with the VHS tape Alpha’s got of her.)

It’s fairly oozing with potential but you do have to hang in.

]]>By: masurixhttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-556
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:50:02 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-556@0megapart1cle: I didn’t think every second of Firefly was golden at the first watching either. Sorry. It took me a couple of episodes to get on board with it, just like every other show ever. In the end, I loved it all, of course. But that’s just it – we don’t have ‘the all’ of Dollhouse in front of us. We’re having it spin out week by week and maybe by the time we’ve seen the first season, we’ll have a better feel for its ‘all.’ Episode by episode is how we have to take it, for now, and I’m wondering if that’s the issue.
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Most people I know who loved Firefly, Buffy, and Angel watched them on DVD (including me) and controlled the pace at which they ran through episodes. It’s a very different experience than waiting each week for it. You could get answers to your plot questions on your own schedule, pretty much. Here, you have to wait and trust the pacing of the show to someone else. That pretty much blows, actually.
]]>By: bobbiec1http://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-555
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:44:15 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-555Count me among the faithful who will watch whatever Joss tells us to watch because He Knows All. Heck, I’m still watching Bones because at one time Joss decided David Boreanaz was Angel — good enough. (And, OK, I like Bones too.)

Dollhouse wasn’t an immediate bowl me over show but I can not think of any show EVER that captured my heart immediately. Yes, even Buffy. (It took me a while to get the movie version out of my head…sheesh.)

BTW, did I imagine Amy Acker in Dollhouse? I haven’t seen much mention of her in any of the write-ups but that certainly looks like her as the slashed/scarred Dr. I always respected the ability to transform Fred to Illyria.

]]>By: Rorschachhttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-554
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:09:37 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-554It’s got potential… I didn’t like the first episode, but the second was great and the third good. I keep hearing it’s going to get even darker which I’m looking forward to. I’m willing to be patient, let’s hope Fox is
]]>By: Lev Grossmanhttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-553
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:59:36 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-553Maybe there can be an episode where the Watchers request Echo and have her imprinted with ass-kicking and stabbing moves so she can kill vampires, and the entire Whedon oeuvre can triumphantly swallow its own tail …
]]>By: riverajenjenhttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-552
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:20:46 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-552Y’know, I love Whedon’s work, I really do, but for some reason I can’t bother to watch Dollhouse myself. I dunno, maybe it the Dushku-ness. Or the fact that I’ve been roleplaying a game that’s very similar to the show’s concept for a very long time (yes, I’m a geek, yadda, yadda…). In any case, I don’t think I’ll bother to watch it. Regardless of how many time my friends harass me and say it’s a good show. *shrug*

The world needs more Firefly though…

]]>By: 0megapart1clehttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-551
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:39:39 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-551masurix, have you heard of a little show called Firefly. I will wholeheartedly agree with you that the vast majority of series, especially ones that try to break the mold, take a while to mature. Buffy is a prime example.

But I can somewhat understand Joss’ fans disappointment with Dollhouse, given the fact that his last series was utterly flawless out of the gate (other than the manipulation of episode order on Fox’s part).

It is not retarded to think that Joss would strike gold twice in a row. But Joss fans shouldn’t be throwing Dollhouse to the wolves because he didn’t, either.

]]>By: masurixhttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-550
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:32:13 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-550I’ve liked Dollhouse. For all those people who say it’s horrible, I’m not sure what show they’re watching. Did they expect to come in to a new show that would pack the same emotional punch right out of the gate as Buffy did, regardless that it took 7 seasons to build that kind of impact? I’m thinking maybe so. I’m also thinking that’s retarded.
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Any new show needs time to find its feet. I’m a novice TV viewer (I’ve been busy with games) but there isn’t a single show that had me swooning at the first episode, or even the first 3 episodes. I need a little time to fall in love, and I’m not there yet with Dollhouse. Hell, it took me a long time to really get into Buffy. It was the finale of season 2 where my relationship with Buffy went from casual to serious. I think a lot of the fan boys expected this new show to be Love at First Sight, and it’s not. But what is?
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For most people, you have to build a relationship, and it’s been tough to do that with characters who retain little to no continuity between episodes. Clearly, that’s going to end, and I will be pleased when it does. I’m adopting a cautious like, and I will see it through as far as it goes. It’s interesting so far. Also, Dichen Lachman is freakin hot.
]]>By: kthuluhuthttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-549
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:17:47 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-549Eliza Dushku seems to think Dollhouse will get better:http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/02/27/tv-tonight-watch-dollhouse-in-three-weeks/

By the way, Lev, you spelled Battlestar Galactica wrong.

]]>By: Churchhttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-548
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:18:32 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-548First episode was OK. Decent for a pilot. Second was aweful. Still up in the air about watching the rest.
]]>By: 0megapart1clehttp://techland.time.com/2009/03/02/dollhouse-its-not-that-bad/#comment-547
Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:51:57 +0000http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/?p=1127#comment-547I pretty much agree, Lev. The pilot kind of stunk, but I liked the last two episodes. People need to keep in mind that every Whedon project doesn’t kick it right out of the park from the beginning. Firefly was fantastic for every single second, (Serenity less so, but still very good), and Singalong Blog was similarly fantastic as Firefly. But we also have the first season and a half of Buffy, and Angel (which meandered in quality throughout its run, and had some real stinkers sprinkled throughout)

So Dollhouse has turned out to be more a Buffy than a Firefly. Does that mean we should all give up on it? I don’t think so. Can you imagine how sad we all would be, in hindsight, if WB cancelled Buffy after that very rocky and lackluster first season? Dollhouse has shown more quality than Buffy did.

Have faith in Joss, is pretty much what I have to say. The series has been slowly improving, and if it continues to, and FOX has the faith to let the series get a renewal (they better after what they did to Firefly), then this could eclipse Buffy in quality by next season.

And yea, Carlos, the Whedonian dialogue is can be a little awkward until the actors get used to it. I think part of what helped Firefly is that two of the regulars, Gina Torres and Nathan Fillion, has both been exposed to Whedon’s dialogue on Angel and Buffy, before Firefly. Whedonian awkwardness is part of what doomed the first season of Buffy to craptasticness. But once the actor’s get used to his style, and Whedon (and his fellow writers) get used to writing those characters, you’ll find the flow improves immensely.